Refrigerating device



March 27, 1934. LAMBERT 1,952,716

REFRIGERATING DEVICE Filed Sept. 27, 1932 INVENTOR ALBEKTLLAMBEKZ' ATTO R N EY Patented Mar. 27, 1934 'REFRIGEBATING DEVICE Albert L. Lambert, Philadelphia, Pa., assignor to Hcintz Manufacturing Company, a corporation of Pennsylvania Application September 27, 1932, Serial No. 634,999 12 (01. 62-101) This invention relates to improvements in refrigerating devices and is directed more particularly to cooling units.

An object of the invention is to provide a cooling unit, preferably of rectangular form, in which the vertical pipes are made of material of high conductivity, and in which the horizontal pipes are made of a material having relatively poor conduct1vity.

vision of a reservoir at the top of the unit to take care of the contraction and expansion of the liquid overv a large range of temperatures. This maybe accomplished by having the upper horizontal pipe of larger cross-section than the others, or by. having a plurality of smaller pipes.

Such a cooling. unit is particularly adapted for use in the refrigerating system shown and described in the copendingapplication, Serial Number 632,147, filed Sept. 8, 1932.

A further object of the invention is the provision of a thermostatically controlled valve at the lower end of one of the pipes of high conductivity to automatically control the flow of liquid in the unit.

In systems where solid 00: is used as a refrigerant the cooling unit herein shown and described is particularly adaptable. unit contains a liquid which will not freeze at the temperature-of solid CO2. This liquid is" cooled by a heavy metallic conductor bar in heat exchange relation to the solid 00: and one of the vertical pipes of high conductivity. The liquid, upon becoming cooled, passes through the lower horizontal pipe, which is of poor conductivity, and passes up through the other vertical pipe of high conductivity where it absorbs heat. To facilitate the absorption of heat by the liquid in this latter pipe, a metallic plate of copper, or other highly conductive material, is soldered, brazed or otherwise secured to the latter pipe to facilitate this heat transfer. The liquid, upon becoming warm, again passes to the pipe in heat exchange relation to the solid CO2, via the top horizontal pipe which is of poor conductivity. In this manner, circulation of liquid in the device is effected. This circulation is conclaims.,. Although the device may be made in .many

A further object of the invention is the pro- This cooling forms, one preferred embodiment is illustrated in the drawing, in which:

Figure 1 is a vertical section of a cabinet, showing an elevationof the device and the arrangement for refrigerating the same, and

Figure 2 is a view along the line 2-2 of Figure Lshowing the device partly in section.

A suitable insulated cabinet 10 may be provided with an insulated cover (not shown) An insulated compartment 11 is provided in the cabinet 10. This compartment is provided with an insulated cover (not shown). The bottom of the compartment 11 is provided .with a metallic plate 12, upon which a solid refrigerant 13 may be placed. The plate 12 extends through the insulation of the compartment 11 into the interior of the cabinet 10, where at 14 it is intimately secured to the heavy conductor bar 15.

The cooling unit, generally designated by the numeral 16, consists of a vertical pipe 17 which is made of a material of high conductivity, for example, copper. The lower end of the pipe 1'7 is secured to a thermostatic valve 18 and the valve 18 may be*secured by a nipple (not shown) to-an elbow 20. A lower horizontal pipe 21, of a material of poor conductivity, for example, iron or steel, is connected to the elbow 20, and the otherend thereof is connected to an elbow 22.

A second vertical pipe 23, of good conductivity, is secured to the elbow 22.

A metallic plate 24, of copper or other highly conductive material, is brazed, soldered or otherwise secured to the vertical pipe 23, to provide 1 an extra radiating surface. A fitting 25 is provided on the upper end of the pipe 23 and a similar fitting 26 is provided on the upper end of. pipe 1'7. Secured to the fittings 25, 26 are the horizontal pipes 27 and 28. These pipes are preferablyimade of material of poor conductivity, such as iron or steel, and the pipe 27 is provided as a pipe for circulation and the pipe 28 is used as a chamber to take care of the expansion and contraction of liquid in the system, as will presently be described.

A substantial length of the heavy conductor bar 15 is soldered, brazed or otherwise secured to the vertical pipe 1'7 to facilitate the heat transfer between the pipe 1'7 and the refrigerant on the plate 12.

The thermostatically controlled valve 18 is connected with a thermo-bulb 19 by means of a tube 30, and the thermo-bulb controls the opening and closing of the valve.

The fitting 26 is provided with a removable plug 29, through which the device may be filled with liquid.

When the device is manufactured and tested for leaks it is ready to be filled with liquid. It has been found that alcohol is a liquid particularly.

adapted to circulate in a device of this kind. The liquid is heated to a point above the highest temperature which the device will encounter, the filler cap 29 is removed and the system is filled with liquid up to the level of the center line of the.

pipe 28, so that in use, when the liquid is cold the pipe 2'7 will always be full of liquid. The plug 29 is then replaced with suitable gaskets or com-= pound, to ensure that the device is hermetically sealed, whereupon it is ready for use.

The system operates as follows: The solid refrigerant 13 is placed on the plate 12 in the compartment 11, where it begins to absorb heat. The plate 12 being in contact with the conductor bar 15 and the conductor bar being in contact with the vertical pipe 17, heat is absorbed by the solid refrigerant from the liquid in the pipe 17. This liquid, upon becoming cooled, passes into the pipe 21 and the liquid that was originally in the pipe 21 passes up into the pipe 23, the liquid that was in the pipe 27 moves forward into the pipe 17 and the liquid that was in the pipe 23 passes into the pipe 2'7. Warmer liquid entering the pipe 1'7 is cooled, and the same operation-occurs in a continuous cycle until the temperature in the cabinet 10 reaches a predetermined point. As soon as this point is reached the thermo-bulb 19 actuates the valve 18, closing the same and stopping the circulation of liquid.

When the temperature in the cabinet 10 rises to a predetermined point the thermo-bulb 19 opens the valve 18 and again allows the liquid to circulate.

The plate 24, secured to the pipe 23, presents a large radiating surface to the interior of the cabinet 10, thereby facilitating the heat transfer between the air in the cabinet and the cold liquid in the pipe 23.

The horizontal pipes 21, 27, 28 are made of a material of poor conductivity, so that the heat transfer therefrom or thereto is much less than that of the pipes 17 and 23. This ensures delivering the refrigeration to certain wanted or advantageous points in the device.

While the device is described having a single pipe system, it is obvious that this unit could be pluralized where more capacity is wanted without departing from the spirit of the invention as defined in the appended claims.

What is claimed is:

1. A cooling unit consisting of a plurality of lengths of metallic pipe secured together to form aclosed system, some of said pipes being composed of a material of higher conductivity than that of the others, one of the pipes of higher conductivity being thermally connected with a refrigerating medium, and the other being exposed to a space to be refrigerated, with the pipes of lower conductivity therebetween.

2. A cooling unit consisting of a plurality of lengths of rigid pipe secured together to form a closed system through which liquid may be circulated, some of said pipes being composed of material of high conductivity and others of material of lower conductivity, one of the pipes of higher conductivity being in heat exchange relation to a source of refrigeration, and the other in heat exchange relation to a space to be refrigerated, with the pipes of lower conductivity therebetween.

mea re 3. A cooling unit consisting of a plurality of lengths of pipe, means for securing said pipes together to form a closed system of rectangular form in which liquid may circulate, at least one of said pipes being composed of material of higher conductivity than that of the others, and a source of refrigerationin thermal relation to thepipe of higher conductivity, whereby a space to which said pipes is exposed may be refrigerated.

4. A cooling unit consisting of a plurality of lengths of pipe, and means for securing said pipes together to form a closed system of rectangular form in which liquid may circulate, some of said pipes being disposed vertically and. composed of highly conductive material and others of said pipes being disposed horizontally and composed of material of poor conductivity, one of said ver- 5. A cooling unit as claimed in claim 4 in which a thermostatically controlled valve is positioned in the circuit at the lower end of one of the highly conductive pipes and between the same and one of the poorly conductive pipes.

. 6. A cooling unit consisting of two vertical lengths of pipe of high conductivity, a lower and two upper horizontal pipes of poor conductivity, and means for securing said pipes together to form a closed system in which the two upper horizontal pipes are in parallel with each other, the upper of said last pipes being adapted to act as an expansion chamber to take care of variations in density of a circulating liquid sealed into the system.

7. A cooling unit consisting of two vertical lengths of pipe of high conductivity, a lower and two upper horizontal pipes of poor conductivity, means for securing said pipes together to form a closed system in which the two upper horizontal pipes are in parallel with each other, the upper of said last pipes being adapted to act as an expansion chamber to take care of variations in density of a circulating liquid sealed into the system, a heavy conductor bar secured to one of said vertical pipes, a solid refrigerant in heat exchange relation to said bar, and a metallic plate secured to the other of said vertical pipes.

8. A cooling unit according to claim '7 in which a thermostatically controlled valve is positioned at the lower end of said first vertical pipefor controlling the circulation of said liquid.

9. In a cooling unit a series of pipes in a closed circuit through which liquid may circulate, some of said pipes being composed of metal of high conductivity and others ofmetal of poor conductivity, a radiating member associated with one of the highly conductive pipesand adapted-to remove heat from said liquid, and a radiating member associated with the other of said highly conductive pipes and adapted to absorb heat from an object to be cooled and to deliver the same to liquid within said last pipe.

10. In a cooling unit, a seriesof pipes in a closed circuit forming a rectangle, two pipes forming the vertical sides of the rectangle each having radiating members associated therewith,

said pipes and members being composed of mate- "rial of high conductivity, at lower and an upper medium within said compartment in thermal contact with another of said pipes of higher conductivity, whereby refrigeration and circulation of said medium is effected due to thermo-siphon action.

12. In a device of the character described, an insulated cabinet, a closed circulating system comprised of a plurality of lengths of metallic pipe in the form of a rectangle, some of said pipes being of high conductivity and angularly disposed to others of said pipes of low conductivity, a source of refrigeration in contact with one of said pipes of higher conductivity, a radiating member secured to one of said pipes of high conductivity and positioned between said pipes of low conductivity, and a medium in contact with said member and adapted to be cooled thereby.

ALBERT L. LAMBERT.

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